Prioritizing Life
by BoothFan21
Summary: An old acquaintance comes back into Booth's life and needs his help.Will it drive a wedge in the partnership he values or will it bring the partners closer together?
1. Chapter 1

Deputy Director Kera DeWinter sat behind her oversized desk reading though the most recent case file, her fingers twisting her long, black, and wavy hair in a repetitive motion. Although she stared at the words on the paper, her mind was elsewhere.

Kera had taken this position six months ago at the request of the president. The Deputy Director's position at the FBI didn't require a presidential appointment but he stepped in this time. A presidential request wasn't exactly something she, or anyone else for that matter, could pass up.

The deputy director's mind drifted back to the years of work that brought her to this office. She joined the officer's program at West Point and worked hard during her four years there. She graduated top of her class and went on to medical school. She again finished at the top of her class and went on to finish her training in cardiothoracic surgery with the military by the time she was 33.

Her medical career seemed like years ago, but in truth, it was only 12 years ago that she had finished her residency. She worked in military hospitals for a couple of years but was soon put in charge of a medivac unit. The rest was history.

She worked her way to the top tier of the army and eventually landed at the pentagon. It was the stepping stone to this position. She wasn't exactly sure why the president had chosen her as deputy director, but most people assumed it was due to her medical background. Increasing use of forensics and science in solving homicides coupled with the increased risk of bioterrorism made having a physician as one of the deputy directors appealing.

The only down time she'd had since she became an officer, doctor and now a director was when she'd taken six months off to be with her twins. She couldn't believe that Peyton and Arianna were going to be six this year. It seemed just like yesterday she was holding them up for their first picture. She was now ashamed to think of what she had allowed Bryan, the father of her children to do to her life and to Peyton and Arianna's. Now, he was battling for full custody of the girls and in view of her present employment, he had charmed the family court judge on the case into scheduling a full custody hearing.

Special Agent Seeley Booth had been standing outside the oak door for more than ten minutes. With each tick of his watch, he became increasingly annoyed. 'To hell with it,' he thought and decided to open the door. He'd take the verbal lashing his long time friend and the ex-captain, who saved more than one of his friends' lives, would give him for entering without permission. It beat standing in the hall for another second.

Walking into the office, he noted her desk was covered end to end with papers and files, "Kera?" He spoke with slight concern. In all the year's he'd served with her in the military, all the paper work was always kept up to date.

Kera wasn't like him when it came to paperwork. Then again, not many people let paper work go until the day before it was due and have to pull all nighters to keep their job. Despite his procrastination, though, he always finished what he started.

Kera was so lost in her own thoughts and concerns that she didn't even hear him walk into the office. She knew that if Bryan took the girls that she would never see them again or if she did see them it would be on Bryan's terms. What good were power and a pay raise when you couldn't share it with your family?

Tears formed on her emerald green eyes as she realized that to keep her children from Bryan she would have to give up a job she loved. She felt so powerless. That feeling confused her because being the Deputy Director of the FBI was an incredibly powerful position. She couldn't remember a time in her life where she'd ever felt this way and that bothered her more than anything.

Booth realized there was something wrong and walked briskly over to the desk, "DeWinter, snap out of it." He spoke firmly as he reached for a tissue on her desk and extended it toward her.

Kera looked at Booth and realized he must have been there for some time trying to get her attention. "Seeley," she cleared her voice, took the tissue, and dried her eyes, "I'm sorry, I was just thinking. Thanks for coming in and making sure I was doing what I get paid to do. Did you have an update on your case?" She spoke as professionally as possible to avoid any additional questions.

Booth saw right through her efforts to appear as if nothing was wrong. He stepped forward and knelt down beside her, "What's going on Kera? I know you well enough to know you wouldn't cry unless something was seriously wrong with one of your girls."

Kera looked her long time friend and ex-army buddy and tears began to form in her eyes again. "I'm going to lose them, Seeley. Bryan has convinced a judge to have a full hearing. He is going to use my position here to take them away from me. He's got a wife now and is a recovering alcoholic." She spoke through her tears. "I have a great job that buys them a great twelve hour a day nanny and a good education at one of the best schools in the district. He's going to take my girls and there is nothing I can do to stop it. "

Booth looked away from Kera and toward the window for just a moment. The sun was shining into the office though the paned windows. Booth knew Kera had a big heart and that Bryan had taken advantage of it until she'd left him to protect the girls. "Kera, I have an idea. I know you and I know that you will reject this but I think my idea will make the judge see you are the better parent for the girls."

Kera dried her eyes and took a deep breath, knowing that when he had an idea that it was pointless to try and argue with him. She threw the balled up tissue into the trashcan beside her desk and looked up at him, "What is your idea, Seeley?"

Booth's instinct was to protect Kera and her girls; he would do the same thing for all women. As he stood up he looked directly down to where Kera was sitting, "Let me move into the fort with you until Bryan backs off. I'll be the male figure in the girl's life and if Bryan tries to go after you or the girls you'll have an in-house sharp-shooter. When it comes time to go to court, I'll be there and two cops with our history against an ex-abusive alcoholic; the judge will have no choice but to keep the girls with you."

Kera felt her eyes widen at his suggestion and quickly tried to process the offer her friend just made. After what felt like hours of silence, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but for once your real world suggestion actually makes a lot of sense." She spoke softly and in a grateful sounding tone.

Booth never thought that Kera would actually take his idea after he'd offered it. But, now that she had accepted, he had figure out how he was going to explain this to Bones and the rest of the Squint Squad. He mentally scoffed, he couldn't tell them. This was something that they wouldn't understand. He was doing this to protect innocent children from a man like his father.

**********************

Temperance Brennan stood on the forensic platform at the Jeffersonian Institute. She was reviewing an x-ray of the latest victim that the FBI brought in. Her face reflected frustration. If anyone asked why she could tell them it was because Booth hadn't called her to visit the crime scene but she would never admit that out loud. If someone did ask, she'd just evade the question or blame her mood on lack of sleep. That usually worked.

She sighed as she put down the x-ray and walked off the platform toward the autopsy room. As she approached, she could see Cam leaned over the victim's remains. Brennan had her jaw clamped in annoyance as she walked through the threshold.

Cam had her protective eye goggles on as she took out the victim's heart and placed it into a metal bowl, "Dr. Brennan, you'll be happy to know that I just finished my last tissue sample. The bones are all yours and cleaned so you can do your thing."

Brennan walked around to the head of the victim and slid on a pair of exam gloves. "The victim looks like he was shot at close range. Did you find any other evidence in the flesh?"

Cam pulled off her gloves and noted her findings in the chart, "I found scar tissue on his arms, legs and feet. I wasn't able to assess why he would have the scar tissue but between the bone damage on the x-rays and tissue I photographed, I think we will be able to isolate the cause of the scaring. "

Temperance walked around the table and pulled the x-rays of the body up again on the computer screen. She tilted her head slightly as her eyes glared intensely at the screen.

A few minutes passed before her expression change into one of realization. She remembered where she had seen similar injuries. "Cam, I've seen x-rays like this before."

Cam had been sitting at a computer entering her findings into the digital chart for the victim, "Where?" She inquired, standing up quickly and walking to stand next to Brennan still looking at the foot x-ray.

Brennan pointed to the several fractures on the foot, "Booth," she said as she swallowed a lump in her throat before explaining herself. "Booth's x-rays look almost identical to the victim's. It is entirely possible that our victim could be a solider or contractor. This is a technique that would have caused these injuries is mostly commonly used in Afghanistan or Iraq as a means of torture."

Cam seemed lost in her own thoughts for just a few moments. This new information was further confirmation of just how much Booth kept silent about his life. "Alright, I'll call Booth and tell him to come down. I think he'll want to see this as soon as possible." Sighing slightly as she finished speaking, she reached into her pocket and pressed her speed dial.

*****************

Booth knew that he should have been at the Jeffersonian with Bones, his partner. He always waited there while she did the squinting to get the information on the case. However, he also knew that he'd made a promise to Kera that he would be the male in her little girls' lives until he was sure that her drunken ex's custody request was tossed out of court.

Booth threw his duffle bag across the room. He'd packed almost everything he would need for an extended stay. He grabbed his keys, wallet and headed out of what would be his home for a while as his cell phone went off. "Booth," he answered in typical fashion.

"The victim was killed with a gunshot wound to the head. But we found something that might interest you more; the victim was tortured at some point in his life." Cam sighed as she flipped though the hard copy of the victim's chart.

Booth started his car and put it in to drive. He expected Cam to automatically provide him with the details of the torture, but he was mistaken. After an extended pause, he decided to inquire for more information if she wasn't going to give it freely. "Ok. What kind of torture are we talking about?" he asked.

Cam took a deep breath to buy the time to carefully select the best words to use, "Booth, Dr. Brennan said, the marks on the base of his feet are consistent with the torture methods used by Afghan and Iraqi soldiers." Cam realized that she hesitated because of what Brennan told her about Booth's own scars.

"So he was a solider?" He asked in a rhetorical manner. "I'm on my way there; see if you can get any matches on the database." Booth spoke firmly as he slammed his phone closed.

As he drove down the road memories of his own capture with his army buddy, Corporal Hunter came rushing back. His squad leader had given him direct orders to head east away from the target location to set up for the job, but he hadn't listened. He knew that going due south of the location appeared to have better grounds to set up his shot, so he followed his instinct and ended up in the hands of Afghan soldiers for what he later learned to be over a week.

In retrospect, he knew that he'd gotten the better end of the torturing deal. Hunter had ended up with two broken legs and multiples fractures to his arms and ribs along with the fractures to the feet. Booth still felt guilty that Hunter had taken the brunt of the beatings and if he could have change it he would.

Booth shook off the memories as he walked into the Jeffersonian and toward the forensic platform. Angela and Hodgins were hovering around the victim's skeleton as he approached. He clapped his hands together and announced his presence as he usually did. "Alright Squint Squad, do we have the name of the victim?"

Angela smiled in her sweet way toward Booth as he walked to stand across from her, "Hi Booth, nice to see you too, it's been a while. I missed staring at your hot body every day." Angela couldn't pass on the opportunity to get a rise out of the FBI Agent.

Booth looked toward Angela in questioning manner and then to Hodgins, "It's only been a couple of days." Booth thought about what Angela had said and became slightly worried that he may have hurt his Squints and, more importantly, his partner.

Hodgins shook his head, "You've been hands off on this case, Booth." The entomologist said plainly. He was no longer afraid Booth would shoot him for telling the truth. "Your FBI guys have been dictating to us since you've been missing. We really don't like to be given orders by strangers." Hodgins was actually pretty upset with Booth for leaving Brennan alone on the case. He was concerned for his friend, who was also his boss because he hadn't seen her so snippy since Booth last came around.

Booth thought back to how busy the past few days his life had been and quickly realized that his friends, co-workers here at the Jeffersonian were right. "Ok, ok-you're both right. I'll call off the FBI lab guys and talk to them. Now, do you have a face or a name of the victim?"

He realized he was sounding more like an FBI Special Agent then the fun loving, yet serious guy the Squints and Brennan were used to. Booth thought about his partner in that moment and realized it'd been days since they'd had lunch, dinner or so much as a cup of coffee. Booth sighed mentally and knew that Kera's issues with Bryan were serious and that he intended to keep his promise to her.

Angela turned her preliminary sketch of the victim toward Booth, "I haven't run it though the computer database yet so I don't have a name."

Booth stared at the sketch trying to make the face he saw anyone but who he thought it was. He simply refused to believe it anyone he knew, especially someone who'd been though the same hell he had.

Cam swiped her card and walked up to the group standing on the platform, "We've got a name. Darin Hunter, Corporal Darin Hunter an ex-sniper in the Army Rangers was reported missing ten days ago by his wife."

Booth, for a moment, appeared lost in his own thoughts. He remembered the first of what seemed like hours of being held captive. He remembered how Hunter joked that at least they were alive and that their suspected their captors we're going to kill them fast rather than let them bleed to death. It was only after they had been rescued that the Army gave him the vague details on the timeline of their capture.

"Hey big guy come back to us." Cam waved her hand in front of Booth's face.

Booth blinked and looked at the sketch Angela was still holding toward him, "I knew Hunter. He was in my sniper unit."

Hodgins looked at the report that had printed out, "Insect activity on the body suggests that he was killed eight to ten days ago. I'm still analyzing the other particulates that we found; I should have something for you later today."

Booth nodded his eyes clearly showing raw anger mixed with determination, "Where's Bones? She would normally be up here rattling off 6 syllable words and telling me that she found a mark on his epiglottis or something."

"Epiglottis is not a bone." Hodgins said almost coldly as he glared toward Booth.

Angela rolled her eyes in Booth's direction, "Brennan is in her office. You remember the whole part about your FBI lab guys being bossy? She decided that if she stayed in her office she could work with the bones without the pretend boys trying to be you and telling her what to do at every turn."

Booth scoffed as he walked toward the stairs of the platform, "I was gone for four days. I am allowed to have a personal life that requires attention sometimes." Booth said out loud more on accident the on purpose.

Angela turned toward Cam her interest peaked by Booth's comments, "I think we need to find out what Booth is hiding. He just told us that he now has a personal life. "

Cam couldn't help but laugh, "Angela you make working here so much more interesting. Keeping up to date with everyone's life outside of work keeps everyone on their toes."

Hodgins had a semi-smile on his face when he spoke in an amused voice, "But she's right. Booth's hiding something and I so want to find out what it is."

Booth made his way towards his partner's office, trying to process that a close friend from his past was dead. His mind drifted to his other current responsibilities to Kera and her girls. He knew that it would require adjustments to his working day because he had to be around to help with homework and everything that his Dad never did. Booth knocked on Brennan's door as he walked in, "Bones? You ready to head out? We've got a murder to solve."

Temperance Brennan looked up at her long time partner with a cold glare. They had been partners for years and since the newest case had been brought to the Jeffersonian, he hadn't been the fact finding investigator she'd come to know and care about. "Why don't you take Hodgins? I've got work here in the lab to complete." She realized how she had redirected him to avoid asking him why he'd been avoiding the Squints and her after four years of partnership. Brennan had been hurt that he hadn't called and just expected her to work the case alone.

Booth's shut the door to his partner's office, "Bones, what's going on? Hodgins is great squint but I don't take Hodgins to interviews, I take you. We're partners we talk to the families, interview suspects, build a case, put the bad guys behind bars, and we do that _together_."

Brennan suppressed her initial response of anger and cleared her voice, "Yes. That is typically true but normally you let me visit the crime scene; do my own investigative work directly rather than answering to your low level agents at the FBI and you always check in on your cases from the time we get them until we have a murderer in detention."

Booth was a little taken back at how defensive his partner was acting. He hadn't realized that taking a couple days to sort out his personal life would have caused such distress to all the Squints. "Look, I'm sorry Bones but I had to take care of some stuff in my personal life. I never realized…"

Temperance stood up from her desk and walked in an aggressive manner toward Booth, "While, I don't understand how Sweets comes to his conclusions about our interpersonal relationships, I think we need to go talk to him. Since your personal life has affected our working relationship…"

Booth put his hands in front of him in a defensive stance, "Hold it, my personal life has not affected our working relationship. I took four days. I thought you and the rest of the Squint Squad would be fine. And if it counts at all, my old army buddy is lying on that table and I want to put his killer behind bars. To do that, I need you." Booth realized at the end that he was almost yelling at her and took several steps back to defuse the tension between them.

Brennan eyes softened as she began to realize that her response would be completely irrational, "I'd like to go see Sweets before we start working this case." She was concerned that his distance on the case was because he didn't want to work with her anymore.

Booth wasn't sure if he was angry or frustrated but he knew that the only way to get Bones back on his side was to do what she asked, "Fine. We'll head over to the baby duck and get our interpersonal relationship checked out and then solve the murder of my army buddy." Booth turned and opened the door to Brennan's office, "Let's go." Booth was feeling defensive as he really didn't want to go see Sweets. But, he had sensed that she needed something from the meeting they were going to have so he'd agreed to go.

Brennan crossed in front of Booth and met his eyes briefly before exiting her office. She was trying to rationalize why Booth wouldn't have at least called her or stopped by the lab.

Booth followed his partner out of her office; his own mind racing to figure out how just a few days of dealing with his personal life had caused a rift. While he trusted his partner and often admired her, the arrangement with Kera was something very personal to him and he didn't feel like he needed to explain it to anyone.

***********

The drive over to the FBI building was uncomfortable and felt unusually long for such a short distance. Booth glanced over to his partner who was staring out the window, her body shifted as far as physically possible away from him. His hands tightened on the steering wheel in frustration causing his knuckles to turn white. If he had known that taking the four days to work remotely would have caused Brennan and the Squints such distress he would have called them instead of checking his messages and with colleagues at the FBI.

Brennan stared out the window trying to understand why Booth didn't want to work with the team anymore. She didn't understand why she was so angry with him over not talking for four days. Her leading theory was that she felt he wasn't interested in the case and that's why he'd sent in his assistant, Charlie to get updates. Brennan had told Booth that she didn't want to work with anyone in the FBI but him. She thought he would have the professional courtesy to end their partnership directly rather than avoid her.

Once at the FBI building, they both exited the vehicle and walked toward the outdoor elevator. Brennan pressed the up arrow key as tapped her foot waiting for the doors to open. Booth meanwhile looked at his watch and realized that he needed to find out from Kera what time the girls would be out of school and if he needed to pick them up.

The elevator doors open and they bumped elbows as they both tried to enter. "Sorry." They both said in unison as the doors closed and ascended toward Sweet's floor. Normally bumping elbows would have brought forth some type of joke, but this time the awkwardness after the small gesture showed the trouble in the partnership.

Booth quickly reached across his partner toward the keypad and punched in Kera's floor as well. Brennan looked at Booth, her question already written on her face before she spoke "I already keyed in Sweets floor. Why are you going to the top floor?"

Booth raised his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side, "I need to talk to my boss. I'll meet you in Sweets' office in a few minutes. It won't take very long." He realized that he'd come off probably sounding angry to her but he figured that Sweets would be able to fix their issues so he didn't dwell on it.

"Can't you just call her? We have a case to work on and we need to talk to Sweets to fix our interpersonal relationship." She spoke in a frustrated manner as he was again trying to avoid their partnership issues.

As the doors opened to Sweets' floor, Booth held the door for her "I promise I'll be there in just a few minutes. Go-get a head start on the psycho-babble that our baby duck is going to give us." Brennan looked at Booth one last time before stepping out of the elevator and walking towards Sweets office.

Booth sighed heavily and put his head against the elevator wall as he reflected on the day. The Squint Squad and Brennan were mad at him for being distant, his army buddy was dead and he hadn't even gotten to the investigation portion of his murder. He was on his way to see Kera whose ex was a drunk with a bad attitude. "Just another day in paradise," Booth muttered as he stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway toward Kera's office.


	2. Chapter 2

Sweets was sitting in his chair reading though notes on a case he was going to testify on next week when she walked in, "Dr. Brennan, nice of you to come by." He spoke with some excitement in his voice as he was always interested in the cases she and Booth worked on.

Brennan sat down across from Sweets her arms folded with a frustrated expression on her face, "While I don't put much value in your methods which may undermine the usefulness of our sessions, I requested that before Booth and I go out on our next case that we come talk to you."

Lance was very interested yet concerned with the way she had opened the session, "You said that you asked Agent Booth to come as well?" He had noted that she had walked in alone as where normally Booth held the door and followed her in.

She sighed in an annoyed way, "Booth is here. He's just not in here, yet. My partner decided that he needed to go speak with his boss before he fixed our partnership issues."

Sweets could see by her body language and hints of sarcasm in her voice that she was distressed about her partnership. He also noted that generally Agent Booth would avoid seeing any of his bosses unless it was critical to a case. Sweets began to realize that both partners were acting out of their normal interpersonal behaviors and he was curious to find out why.

*******************************

Kera sat reading a case file that had just been closed and was waiting for the final sign off. The file was the tenth one she'd read though the day and the words started to blur on the page.

She sighed heavily as she stood up and walked to her window watching the cars drive by. She smiled a little remembering the good times in the military. Even though they were deployed and often in the middle of nowhere they always found ways to amuse themselves. When they did have combat vehicles, which wasn't often for the unit they would race them across the open desert to pass the time.

Booth waved at Kera's receptionist as he turned the doorknob and entered her office. "DeWinter," he spoke curtly as he closed the door behind him.

She turned to Booth and cleared her voice to return back to her business tone. "Booth, how can I help you? Did you find out anything on your case?"

Booth nodded not wanting to tell her anything about the case, knowing that as soon as he told her she'd want to join the case, "I am actually only here on personal business. When do the twins get out of school? I know we talked about what days I'd take them to the nanny but I realized I didn't know what time to pick them up."

Kera smiled knowing he was avoiding the reporting on his case like he always did, but she decided to humor him, "They get out at 3:00. They go to the nanny until 6:30 and one of us should make arrangements to be home by then. Though, I think we need to make the effort to both be home until the issue with Bryan gets closed. "

Booth sighed as he nodded, "I agree. Bryan as I remember probably has some high priced lawyer following your ever move. And Bryan would not be happy seeing me."

Kera put her hands on her hips and gave him an annoyed stare, "Yeah I remember. You punched him. But then I told both of you to get out of my operating room. I outranked both of you and so you jumped. Couldn't see combat but I could make all the men around me jump. " She paused looking amused at her line of thought, "Come to think of it I'm still telling men how high to jump."

Booth mused at her comments because she was right about being the person in charge, he cleared his voice to avoid laughing, "Alright, I gotta go or Dr. Sweets will probably call you to ask why I was here and I really don't want my personal life impacting my working life." He realized he spoke very quickly as if to dismiss that his working life and his personal life were actually overlapping at the moment.

Kera nodded resisting the urge to laugh at the whole complex agreement, "Go. And thanks for helping me Seeley." She said honestly and sincerely as she took a seat back in her chair.

Booth opened the door, "Your welcome, Kera," he said with a slight smile on his lips, as he exited her office and walked briskly down the hallway toward the elevator.

*****

Sweets looked at his clock and shook his head as he stared at his now empty office. He was used to Agent Booth showing up really late but showing up late was different than not showing up at all. Sweets sighed as he read his email to the Deputy Director, really it was Dr. Brennan's request he send it at all. Somehow he felt as if he'd failed them in counseling and he hoped that his suggestion would allow them to see what everyone else already saw.

Anyone who was close to the Booth and Brennan saw the silent words that were spoken between them. The two partners were at a standstill, hesitant to move forward out of what seemed to be professional respect but unwilling to retreat because it was as if they knew something wasn't being said. Everything between them was like the ocean. Their emotions ran up to the crest of the wave and washed over them like the white foam that raced toward the beach, but they didn't see it which was entirely frustrating to those around them.

Booth looked at his watch as he ran down the hall and opened Sweets' door. He expected to see his partner and their baby duck. Generally, he really hated these session with Sweets. Sweets liked to poke and prod, trying to get him to open up. Sweets also tried to break down Brennan and her complex emotion issues too. He never would admit it to Sweets face but he knew on some level that Sweets was making a difference. Booth knew that enough session, as broken up and non-consistent as both he and Bones were trying to make them would eventually give Sweets a complete picture of who they really were.

He looked around and noticed the empty room with Sweets sitting behind his desk, "Where's Bones? I left her on your floor to meet you." Booth waved his hand as if to accent each of his words.

Sweets cleared his voice as he looked up at Booth hesitant to deliver what Dr. Brennan had requested. "Agent Booth, I think you should have a seat." Extending his hand toward a chair that was adjacent to where he was sitting.

Booth scoffed as he walked to Sweets desk and slammed his hands down looking eye to eye with the young doctor. He could see that Sweets was trying to stay calm under intense pressure from him but he decided to push for information, "Where is my partner, Sweets?" Booth put his hands in his pockets, pushing his coat back to reveal his gun.

Sweets jumped back in his chair knowing that Booth had a history of pulling his gun to feel superior when things were out of his control. "Okay, Okay, Okay…Dr. Brennan left after you took like forever with the Deputy Director. But before she left, she made me write an email to your boss about your partnership. I totally didn't want to but she made a pretty compelling argument about why I should send the email."

Booth's eyes got wide and angry as he turned on heel as he opened the door to Sweets office. He paused and turned back to Sweets, "If anything happens to my partnership…" He warned as he slammed the door.

*********

Booth sighed as he walked down the top floor slowly toward Kera's office. As he got closer to the door his annoyance and anger started to defuse causing him to stop and lean against the wall. He closed his eyes for a moment and reflected on why Brennan and the Squints were mad at him. Booth knew somewhere inside, in a place that he didn't even want to think about that he had more than just feelings of partnership towards Bones.

He also remembered the relationship he'd had with Kera, before the twins and after the first time Bryan had left her. Booth remembered that Bryan had come into her operating room; drunk and treating. She'd called him to help because she was scared and he'd come running, eventually he decked Bryan which caused her to toss them both out. That night as she came home to the apartment they shared, and she fell into his arms tears rolling down her face. He'd made her a promise that no matter what happen between them that he'd been there.

Kera hadn't asked for his help with the twins, he'd offered. He couldn't deny to himself that he missed being with the Squint Squad. It was a basic fact – he missed them. At the same time he couldn't go back on his agreement with Kera. Booth swallowed as he opened his eyes and started walking back down the hallway. Regardless of what Sweets email said, he knew what he choice was and it was the right choice. He opened the door to Kera's office and walked in, "We need to talk."

Kera sighed as she turned towards him. While she knew that she could handle whatever he wanted to talk about, she didn't know how she would explain it to the girls. Booth had been great to them. He'd been the Dad the girls should have had. Booth had been in the house now for four days and the girls were already enjoying the extra attention. For that matter, she was enjoying having intelligent conversations about sports with him after girls went to sleep, "Yes, Agent Booth. What do we need to talk about?" She spoke as professional as possible to him.

Booth looked at her knowing that this was the only solution to make everything work. "Kera, I agreed to move in you and girls. I'm happy reading them stories every night and talking sports with you. But what I've come to realize is I'm not doing the job I committed to do. I have a case in which I haven't even gone over thoroughly because I've been trying to fix all my relationships with everyone. I need to be available to the girls and I can't do it being in the field." He knew his eyes were treating to start watering and he was emotional but he took his promise to Kera's girls seriously. Booth thought back to the promise he'd made to Kera years ago. He always kept his promises and this one wasn't going to be any different.

Kera felt her heart racing in her chest as what she thought he planned to say and what he'd said ended up being two completely different things. "You have no idea how much it means that you decided to step in for the girls, for me." She took a deep breath and cleared her voice to regain her professional tone. She clicked around on the computer for a few minutes before looking up. "I can reassign you to Quantico. They need a new instructor for some of the new agent courses," she explained.

Booth looked down at his belt buckle and back up to Kera knowing he had to ask but inside his heart was breaking because he knew the answer. "What about Dr. Brennan and my Squint Squad? If I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth Instructor at Quantico they aren't going to be my team anymore." Booth had spoken what would be his new title in a firm yet slightly hesitant voice. He didn't think Kera would have picked up on the hesitation, at least he'd hope she hadn't.

Kera knew that even though Booth had verbalized his question that he already knew the answer. She again returned to her computer to get him an answer. "I'll assign her to Special Agent Ryan. Luke is a good guy and he'll take care of Dr. Brennan and her team. And, you trained him so you would know that he's at least almost as good as you."

Booth never realized how hard it would be to hear that Brennan, Bones, his partner, and the squints would be given to another agent. At least he knew Ryan and could check up on the cases if he missed the field. Live vicariously though Ryan and Brennan's cases. He mentally knew that would happen when he came to DeWinter's office. He would lose his partnership. Somehow, though, he knew that as much as his actions hurt, this was the right thing to do.

He cleared his voice to regain composure, "Let me tell her," he didn't even need to say her name. "I know you need to talk to Cam and to Ryan but give me today before you go over to the Jeffersonian and introduce my replacement."

Kera nodded at her long time friend and the man who was quickly becoming her hero, "Just let me know when. I won't make any moves or calls until you give me the go ahead." Kera knew that the feelings were starting to come back. She didn't want to go though those emotions again. They had broken up because Bryan came back promising the world. Had she had any sense she would have slammed the door in his face. But, she didn't. Booth had walked away from the relationship gracefully, respecting her decision. But all these years later, when her world was falling apart and things looked bleak Booth was right back at her side with no doubts in his mind or at least that he showed her.

Booth turned and walked to the door and whispered softly as he opened it, "Thanks Kera." Turning and walking out as he took a deep breath and headed to talk to Brennan.


	3. Chapter 3

Hodgins pulled the report off the printer and read though the results. He was clearly frustrated that he and his coworkers had been working every angle on Booth's army buddy's case and Booth wasn't around. "I don't understand why we are pushing this case so hard when Booth isn't even around. This was his army buddy, not ours. He's all about loyalty and putting the bad guys behind bars and he's not even here for his friend." Hodgins realized that at his core he was mad because he considered Booth a friend and he knew that he'd never abandon Booth but yet Booth had left them all without saying anything.

Cam sighed heavily as she too was feeling the pressure. With the FBI grunts doing the leg work for the bureau and Booth's lack of involvement in the case, it was almost impossible for them to get a lead on this case. No matter how frustrating a situation became though, she realized she was the glue that had to keep everything together until Booth and Brennan realized that the case wasn't going to solve its self. "We keep working on the case. It's still a murder and we need to give the FBI information they need to solve the case."

Angela swiped her card and had overheard most of the conversation. She was just as upset with Booth as Hodgins, maybe even more so, but her reasons different. She had to see her best friend suffer. Brennan had been abandoned by men throughout her life and now it seemed that Booth was going to be added to the list. "Since no one else will say it, I will. We got used to Booth being around here and making stupid jokes about our IQs. Sure, he gave us a hard time, but he made us feel important. The FBI grunts don't even joke with us they just call us, pump us for information and we don't hear from them again until they're stuck. We're just Squints again." She'd had seen Brennan when Booth had been shot and thought killed. In those two weeks, her long time friend experienced the full spectrum of emotions. Which, intro spec was less heartbreaking than watching Brennan fly to a third world countries to dive into mass grave pits to get over a bad break up.

Booth walked through the doors of the Jeffersonian, his eyes lowered towards the ground. He heard the last part of what Angela had said and for a few seconds doubted his decision to leave. Booth shook off the doubt and brief feelings of hurt as he knew Kera needed him. He ascended the platform and met a mix of angry and confused stares. He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked between three of his closest friends. "Where's Bones?" he asked rather meekly. "I think you all need to hear this at the same time." He mustered up enough strength to keep his voice somewhat non-emotional. For that, he was thankful. He decided that the hardest part of all this was leaving Brennan with a new partner that he knew she wouldn't want. Brennan could rationalize him leaving but he would be just another man in her life that turned his back and that was something that was eating him up inside.

From her office, Brennan saw her long-time partner standing adjacent to the rest of the team. She was hurt and angry at him yet she still cared. As if she was walking though a fog, she made her way from her office and slowly walked up the stairs to join them on the platform. She stared silently at Booth, trying to form rational, complete thoughts but was unable to accomplish the small goal. While she was not great with reading people like Booth was; she could tell her partner appeared very serious. Outwardly, she knew she looked calm and collected but inside her heart was racing. Her mind trying to process the irrational emotions she was feeling about seeing Booth again.

Booth looked around at the four members of his Squint Squad. They had been through so much over the last few years. They were connected on so many levels and what he was about to do pained him. He knew that crying right now wouldn't help, but that's all he wanted to do. He briefly thought back to his military days to gain a sense of focus as he spoke, "You're all right…I know I haven't been around at all during this case." The team looked at him as he spoke. He half expected them to lash him because of his actions, but they all remained silent. The silence made him even more nervous.

Booth didn't want to look at his friends and soon to be ex-coworkers in the eyes. He was trying to distance himself from his emotions, which even after watching Brennan, the world expert on suppressed emotions, all these years he still wasn't any good. His emotions were there, always visible, always important. He took a deep breath before he spoke, "I thought that I could balance things in my personal and professional life and everything would be normal. But, I realized today I couldn't."

Briefly, he looked toward Brennan, his partner, his Bones. He couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes but he was trying to read her expression. He had to know that she was going to be ok with this. He knew it would hurt her in the long run, but hopefully she'd heal with time. After his brief intermission, he went on. "My boss called me in and reassigned me to Quantico. This means I won't be working on cases with you anymore." He spoke quickly to deter any interruptions. "I know that you have questions-questions I wish I could begin to answer but I can't. I have obligations that I didn't have when I became a Special Agent. They are important to me and all I ask is that you try to understand but I understand that won't happen right away."

Again, Booth looked at Brennan. She was now his former partner. He couldn't quite get a read on her expression – probably not a good sign.

In actuality, Brennan's mind was racing with the news that he was walking away from their partnership, from her. She hadn't noticed that anything was that wrong with their partnership. Sure, they had bumps, they'd argued and fought but they had always made it work.

Booth knew she would be the one hurt most by this and he wished he could spare her but he had to do what was right. "Bones, I know you always said I'm the only agent you want to work with but the Deputy Director is giving you one heck of a new partner. Just give him a fair chance."

Angela couldn't believe that Booth would just walk out on her best friend. Couldn't believe that he would give up the partnership they all had. Cases were solved, criminals put behind bars and they did it all together. What could have possibly happened to change Booth in four days?

Brennan couldn't even think of words to say to her partner. She stood and began to walk toward the platform stairs without saying a word. She needed time to rationalize and compartmentalize everything that Booth said. The thought crossed her mind that maybe he was trying to distance himself from her. Lately, their relationship had been trending towards something more but neither would risk taking the step. So they both, without words, decided to keep their irrational emotions in check.

Booth read the confusion in her body language, "I'm sorry Bones." He realized that he'd actually apologized out loud, when he'd really just intended to give her an apologetic look. He paused one more time as he turned to look between Cam's confused and concerned face to Angela's hurt and heartbroken one, "Take care of her. My replacement will be great in the field but you're her best friends." Booth sighed as he pulled out the ID card that Brennan had given him when he'd first joined the team and extended it toward Hodgins, the closest to him, physically. The bug man looked at him with a cold, dark, and angry stare as he took the ID card. Booth walked briskly down the stairs turning one last time to look at his friends before exiting the building. Bones had often said that he was the feelings of the partnership and right now he felt every feeling of guilt, sadness and something he couldn't bring himself to admit.

Hodgins looked at the ID card in his hand and slammed it to the ground as he stormed off the platform. He was furious. He didn't know how to process what Booth just told them. It was as if their years of friendship were simply a business contract that Booth had decided to cancel when he suddenly got a personal life. "_You know what?_" Hodgins thought. "_A business contract is harder to break than this, apparently_." To Hodgins, it appeared as if Booth felt there were no strings attached to their little group-come and go as you please.

Each member of the team processed the information they were given differently. Cam's reaction was more of concern and curiosity than anger. She knew something was very wrong with Seeley and she couldn't begin to isolate what would have caused it. '_What is it?_' she thought to herself. She knew Seeley and knew that he wouldn't have come to the decision lightly. She sighed, picked up his badge, and walked down the stairs toward her office to gather her own thoughts.

Angela looked at Brennan and just knew that her friend wouldn't show the typical outward signs of being angry or upset. She also knew that inside she felt as if another person abandoned her. "Sweetie, He didn't say it was forever. He just has some things to work out." Angela was trying to sound reassuring though, in her own heart, she suspected that Booth was protecting Brennan and the rest of them from something. '_What kind of trouble could Booth be in to make him run_?' she thought as she tried to come up with a theory.

Brennan tried to rationalize why, after everything that they had been through, he would decide that ending their partnership was a better alternative than giving up something in his personal life. They had spent so much time together that sometimes their personal lives crossed over - even when they didn't want it too.

She decided to focus on her work that she knew was important and would distract her. Walking over to the table, she grabbed exam gloves and began to work on the bones, "Angela can you see if you can get the measurements of what angle of entry of the bullet would be?"

Angela knew that this was her best friend's way of dealing and moving on, compartmentalizing as Brennan called it. Angela nodded and walked slowly down the stairs towards her office, concern for friend evident on her face. Angela reflected on everything Brennan and she had been though their rotating boy-friends; the various criminals that had tried to kill them and the overall uniqueness of their jobs. She knew how Brennan processed information and that her friend would take time and while she may not outwardly show the effects they would likely run deep and painful.

*************************

Bryan Nova sat across from his overpaid attorneys with a clenched jaw. He'd spent the last six months tied up in legal paperwork trying to see his daughters. His ex had countered everything that the lawyers submitted to the judge. Earlier in the week the lawyers said the judge was willing to take the custody case and at least hear what he had to say.

Today, the overpaid leeches were telling him the judge had finished reviewing the case end to end. Because of his DUI a year ago and a positive recent test on the SCRAM anklet, the judge was throwing out the request. "So what is the next step? Just because my ex runs a security company doesn't mean I shouldn't have the right to see my kids." Bryan spoke in a sharp and very angry tone toward the attorneys. He knew that he had little to no rights to Peyton and Arianna because Kera and he hadn't been married and for that matter she hadn't even put his name on their birth certificates. Kera had always run things her own way. The only time he'd ever gotten anything past her is when he'd been drunk and verbally assaulted her with every hurtful thing he could imagine.

The blond haired attorney knew this case was a losing battle. Their client was simply ill equipped to go up against his ex-girlfriend and yet he kept trying. If she could have convinced the rest of the partners to drop this man as a client, she would have. She sighed as she mustered her calmest voice, "Your ex is Deputy Director Kera DeWinter of the FBI. If that alone doesn't give her the leverage on this case, the fact that she's an ex-Army Captain and a highly skilled cardiothoracic surgeon does. It's just not something we come up against every day in family court."

Bryan slammed his fists on the table causing both of the attorneys to jump at the sound. Bryan took a deep breath and looked at the man across from him, "Wha...what about the private investigator that we hired? Did he find anything that could make the judge change his mind?"

A gray haired man with short hair looked serious and frustrated with his client. This case wasn't even a case anymore. Most domestic cases like this were tossed out of court long before they had a meeting like this. He sighed softly as pulled out a file and opened it sliding several pictures across the table. "The only thing that the investigator found out is Ms. DeWinter might be in a relationship with this man. From the records we obtained, his name is Seeley Booth an ex-Army sniper and current Special Agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigations."

Bryan took one look at the pictures and didn't need to hear another word the lawyers had to say. He was so angry that he could feel his blood boiling in his veins. "Sergeant Seeley Booth. I know exactly who he is." He felt his hands tighten as he thumbed though the pictures to see Peyton and Arianna on a swing set with Booth pushing them. He was angrier at Kera than at Seeley really. Kera had been the one who took the job at FBI; she'd been the one to tell him the girls were going with her and he had no right to them, and she'd been the one who'd driven him to drink. If Kera died everything in his life would be all the better.

The young women opened her file and looked though the mounds of papers that had surrounded the case. She shook her head, "Special Agent Seeley Booth is currently living with Ms. DeWinter and appears to be a possible boyfriend, acting in…" She jumped back her client slammed his fists on the desk and looked fit to kill.

He had simply heard enough of what his lawyers couldn't do or wouldn't do. Bryan walked quickly over to the door and opened it, "If you won't help me. I'll do it myself." As he walked down the hallway, his anger turned into blind rage. He knew that the only way he would ever see his girls again was to take Kera out of the picture.

********

Special Agent Luke Ryan walked next to his boss, the Deputy Director of the FBI, as they entered the Jeffersonian Institute. It had been four days since she'd told him that he was replacing Agent Booth at the Jeffersonian and that the world famous Dr. Brennan was now his partner. Booth had been his indirect trainer when he'd joined the FBI. He considered Booth more his friend than a co-worker. Booth was the only agent he'd visit and end up having an indoor football game. Well, it wasn't really a full game but they did throw the football around Booth's office.

Luke had always heard Booth telling stories about how big the building was but this was the first time he'd seen it himself. He'd also heard about his new partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Agent Booth described her as intelligent, yet serious with a bit of a fun side once you got to know her. He'd decided that if she was as great as Booth described her to be that he'd probably charm her and asked her out. Booth had nicknamed him Cocky because of his direct and confident style when it came to his work. But, he was ok with being cocky because it was the trait that had gotten him this position.

Ryan was also excited to meet the team that Booth called the Squint Squad, which technically meant now that they were his Squint Squad. A group of highly trained and specialized lab rats that helped Booth and his former partner solve the cases. He intended to use this team to boost his career and push them to process cases quicker than in the past. With a team this good, he figured he'd have a promotion waiting in a short few months.

Kera walked with Luke following closely behind her towards Camille Saroyan's office. Kera knew that Booth was doing what he thought was right thing and he had his mind set but she also knew that Dr. Brennan wasn't going to like a new partner and that cases were going to slower than normal. "Dr. Saroyan." Kera spoke in a friendly tone as she entered the office as Luke entered slowly behind her.

Cam looked up at Kera and then behind her to the red-haired, blue-eyed man standing in the door way. She had known Kera for years and when their paths crossed she enjoyed the few moments of laughs they shared. But, they were professionals whose paths were crossing this time because of a man they had both cared deeply for at some point. They both still cared for him, just as a friend now.

Despite her best efforts, Cam hadn't been able to reach Seeley by phone or text since he'd made the announcement that Kera had transferred him. She'd even tried showing up at his apartment unannounced to make him talk to her. Obviously, whatever it was, he had no intentions of sharing.

"Deputy DeWinter, is this our new liaison to the FBI?" She spoke in a clear and crisp tone as she stood up and extended her hand toward the man. She was concerned with the new Agent that Kera had brought. It wasn't over the ability of the man but she knew Seeley and trusted him with her team.

Ryan extended his hand to Dr. Saroyan and smiled, "Special Agent Luke Ryan and yes, I'm the new ring leader of the Squint Squad." He was confident and assertive tone as he pulled his hand back.

Cam's eyes got wider as the young agent spoke. He had clearly decided that he was the leader of her people. She remembered back to the first few days after she'd joined the team at the Jeffersonian and it helped her put into perspective what he was thinking. The conversation with Agent Perotta sometime ago crossed her mind as she prepared her response, "Agent Ryan, we'll work together. The team is solid and a good group of people and they're the best at what they do. But, they are still my team and I'm sure in time you'll come to understand the boundaries even if we do bump heads in the process." She spoke in her familiar, firm and direct tone as to set boundaries before Agent Ryan invaded her lab and starting dictating.

Kera couldn't help but smile and suppress a laugh at the two strong willed people across from her. "Well, I can see you two are going to get along great," she said, hoping it would at least develop into a cordial relationship that yielded good results for the FBI. "Dr. Saroyan, you'll make sure Ryan gets over to Dr. Brennan's office?" She knew that Dr. Brennan and Ryan had to make it work. Booth was under enough pressure with all the problems Bryan had created and the last thing he needed was to hear his former partner was anything but doing well.

Kera remembered the reports Dr. Sweets had provided her about Seeley and Dr. Brennan's relationship. He'd detailed that their interpersonal relationship could have a negative impact on their working relationship as they had unresolved personal issues they were unwilling to address. Even before he'd come to her to request a transfer, she already had plans in motion to transfer him. She knew that the girls would not be able to handle Seeley being hurt and so she planned to protect all of them. In some ways she wished the girl's real father hadn't been scared of the pregnancy but in some ways it worked out for the better.

Cam nodded as she felt a slight, yet annoying, pain inside. It took everything she had not to ask Kera why she'd reassigned Booth. She felt that she deserved a real explanation instead of the cliff notes version that Booth had given them. "I'll make sure he gets on Darin Hunter's case with Dr. Brennan." She was concerned about Brennan's reaction to her new partner. As the head of the department she knew that Brennan really had no choice but to work with him. As a friend she knew Brennan would fight working with Agent Ryan and she would understand why. Seeley wasn't just Brennan's partner but friend, confident and someone she was possibly in love with.

Kera nodded and turned as she left the office. As she walked to out of the Jeffersonian her mind drifted to the case details of the case that she'd reviewed. Darin Hunter was shot and killed by someone with sniper training. The list of suspects was short and the case was becoming colder by the minute as each of the suspects provided alibis. Maybe she should have left Booth on the case and not caved to his transfer request so quickly. Maybe she was wrong to have accepted his offer in the first place. She knew that if anything happened to Brennan that Booth would hold him-self responsible. Kera hoped that Ryan would take care of his new partner and protect her for all of their sakes. But, she also knew Ryan was a good agent but he wasn't the best, Booth was.


	4. Chapter 4

Booth sat in his new office at the Quantico training center with his feet on his desk reading though a comic book. The comic book might have looked silly to the trainees that kept crossing by his door but to him training was comedic so he found it very fitting. He remembered back to the last time he'd seen his partner…Brennan and his squints. It was Brennan's look of abandonment that haunted him every time he thought to stop by the Jeffersonian Institute.

Booth knew that he could go back there and not stay to help with the case but it would be too hard on both of them…all of them. He knew that she could compartmentalize, or claim she could compartmentalize, but he hoped the support from the rest of the squints would allow her to move on without having to do it. Booth hoped Brennan would find someone to fill his void. He hoped that she would keep helping the FBI put the bad guys behind bars, keep working on their list. But most of all, he hoped that under the emotionless exterior she put , she would find away to forgive him for leaving her. Forgive him for saying he'd always be there and then walking away.

As he walked down the hallway towards Booth's office Luke was frustrated at how badly his first interview with Dr. Brennan went. Nope, he rethought; it had gone completely from a bad interview to the worst interview ever in a matter of minutes.

Luke sighed as he walked into Booth's office and almost looked as if he had returned from the principal's office in middle school. He couldn't believe that Booth was reading a comic book with his feet on the desk. "You look very busy, Booth," he drawled out sarcastically announcing his presence.

Booth heard the footsteps long before Ryan ever entered the office. As an Army sniper his life often depended on hearing the enemies' location in the dark of night. His training didn't leave him just because he'd left the service and for that he, was thankful. He pulled down the comic book to look at Ryan, and concern washed over him. "Is Bones ok?" Booth quickly said as he pulled his feet down and stood to face his replacement. Booth always protected her in the field; made sure he walked in to the crime scenes first, had taken a bullet endangering his own life to keep her safe and something she didn't know was that he'd shoved a gun down the gang leaders' throat after her life had been threatened.

Luke's eyes reflected confusion as he looked at Booth, "Bones? You mean the bones that Dr. Brennan and my Squint Squad are looking at to help find out who killed your old army buddy?"

"Brennan. Is Dr. Brennan ok?" Booth said in a rapid, annoyed tone. Ryan had called the squints "his". Booth felt an unfamiliar pain inside at the mention of the squints. He quickly moved to push the feelings aside. Ryan was right, they were his squints now.

Luke nodded. "Dr. Brennan is fine. Well, she's fine in the physical sense at least. But, she hates me," he stated plainly looking at his friend and co-worker.

Booth sat back down and broke out in a laugh as he put his feet back on the desk. He stopped laughing and suppressed a smile as he looked up at Luke. "Now, what would make you think Brennan hates you?" he spoke in an amused tone. Booth remembered back to the beginning with Brennan. They hadn't always been friends. For that matter, they hadn't even talked much at first. But those were the times that he'd just admired her strength and determination. It was something he missed.

Luke sighed as he started to detail to Booth his current predicament with Dr. Brennan, "Everything started a week ago. . ." He began.

**********

Brennan walked around the table completely ignoring the man standing behind her. She wasn't going into the field with him, there was no question about that. She'd told Booth that she didn't want to work with any FBI Agent but him. Her days in the field were over.

Beyond her displeasure with the hovering FBI agent, she was angry at Booth. Brennan knew that anger was irrational but she couldn't push past the fact that Booth had said he'd always be there and he was gone. For a moment she reflected back to a conversation about betrayal. She'd asked Booth if he would ever betray her and he'd firmly said no. He lied.

Luke tried to talk to her for the last hour and had been stonewalled with words like epiphyseal plate. He attempted to spell epiphyseal in his notebook and planned to look it up later so he would at least know what in the hell she was talking about. "Dr. Brennan, we need to go interview the victim's wife. We have a murder to solve and I have a boss who is very annoyed with the progress on the case." He spoke in a low, calm and nearly pleading voice. It was the same phrase he'd used at least three other times in the last hour. He started with the demanding and bullying voice; followed by the angry and annoyed voice and lastly the exasperated voice. None of which worked and he doubted the low, calm and nearly pleading voice would either.

Brennan heard the words come out of his mouth and they sounded like he was trying to accomplish something but the words died before they registered any meaning. She knew that she was failing to compartmentalize Booth's abrupt departure and the one thing she could focus on that wouldn't leave was the bones on her table.

Ryan was really trying to make this work with her but he was at a loss as to what to do. Ryan knew that DeWinter was micromanaging him. She had a vested interest in Dr. Brennan's acceptance of him as her new partner. He'd asked himself why she cared so much about Dr. Brennan's case as opposed to anyone else but he hadn't come up with much of an answer. Slowly, Ryan turned away from her and looked towards Dr. Saroyan's office, as if asking for help.

Cam stood looking at Brennan and Ryan from her office, her arms folded across her chest. She walked up to Angela. "So, what do we do? She has to go out into the field with him. Special Agent Ryan has been trying to get her to go out on the interview for days." Cam was concerned about Seeley and his departure for reasons that made no sense to her. Professionally, she knew that Brennan had to find a way to work with Agent Ryan. Personally, she intended to confront Kera and if she wouldn't give her what she wanted she would rattle Seeley's cage over at Quantico.

Angela sighed as she shook her head. Brennan didn't know how to deal with the loss of Booth and she was trying to move past it, to compartmentalize as she always called it. The problem as she saw it was that Brennan and Booth had a whole level of partnership that she knew couldn't be replaced. It didn't really matter who the FBI sent over, Brennan was going to ignore them. "Well, we could always call Special Agent Seeley Booth of the training squad. Sure, he's been reassigned and we don't know why but he'd tell Brennan to go out to that interview." Angela knew her tone came off as sarcastic. But, she couldn't help it.

Cam shook her head as she watched the interaction between Brennan and her new partner. "Or, you could go talk to her." She looked at Angela in an amused but knowing way.

Angela tried not to laugh as she smiled in a sarcastic way knowing that she was probably the only person, besides Booth, who could help Brennan. "Here goes nothing," she said walking briskly away from Cam and toward the platform where her best friend stood.

Luke looked at the pretty squint, as he called her, and walked up the stairs towards them. "Hey Angela," He spoke in a clear voice that reflected a slight annoyance with his current situation. He hadn't been around long but he knew that Angela was the one that was all heart. Luke wasn't sure what he felt for Angela, if it was anything at all. Besides, the bug squint really didn't like it when he talked to Angela. In fact, the bug squint gave him very angry stares and didn't talk to him. It seemed at this point that only Angela and Cam talked to him. He figured two of the four squints on his side wasn't a bad score for the short time he'd been here. Ryan heard from just about everyone how loyal the Squint Squad was to Booth and he figured eventually they would be that loyal to him.

Angela looked at the attractive man who had been such a pleasure to look at the past few days. Granted, she liked looking at Booth too. She smiled as she spoke, "Hi Agent Ryan. How are you today?"

Memories of how Booth fit into their team flooded though Angela's mind. Booth was strong; caring, protective, charming…the alpha male and now there was Agent Ryan. Agent Ryan was bold, direct, persistent, pushy but oddly charming all the while. Angela knew that both men had and would take care of Brennan while she was out crime fighting. But, she knew Booth. He was so much more. Booth was the one she trusted with her best friend and she wasn't sure she'd ever trust Ryan the same way. Booth had stood between a bullet and Brennan, never flinching at the thought of death to save his partner. Would Ryan do the same? She wished she had that answer.

Luke thought Angela was the odd-ball of the squints. She acted so friendly but when it came down to facts, she was a squint at heart. He'd watched her and that animation machine re-create a murder and its different scenarios. No average person could do that. "I'd be doing whole lot better if I could get my _partner_ into the field. We have cases backing up," he explained trying to suppress the annoyance that he knew would be in his voice.

Angela gave him a knowing look as she spoke, "Why don't you go get a cup of coffee? I won't be long but you know I want to talk girl stuff with my best friend." She knew that the informal talk would have been an indication for him to leave. No real man wanted to hear about periods and bras.

Luke took her subtle hint and nodded, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Excuse me Dr. Brennan, Angela." He quickly turned and headed off the platform. Before he went in the office to pour the coffee, he stared at the women and hoped that Angela, the pretty squint, could help get Dr. Brennan in the field.

He walked up the ramp to the catwalk where the coffee was brewing. Ryan filled a paper cup and turned to prop himself up against the rail looking down at the two women. He'd had partners before that pissed him off but they had worked it out over beer and baseball. Brennan wasn't the type to work it out over beer and baseball. Perhaps he'd be better off to get her hard liquor and a shattered skull to reassemble and that would open the door of communication with her. People talked at the office about Booth and Dr. Brennan's relationship. So far, he hadn't seen what the big deal was and maybe the talk was just talk. He hadn't seen Brennan favor Booth above himself since he had been here. For that matter, she hadn't even said anything about Booth. He found that very interesting since they had been partners for four years.

Angela looked at her best friend as she put her hands on her hips. She'd decided that she needed to be firm with her best friend since nothing else was working. "Bren, sweetie, this is crazy. He's trying to do his job and he needs you to help in the process."

Brennan stopped her work on the bones as she met the eyes of her friend. She was hurting and it was a hurt that she couldn't isolate nor disregard. "Angela, I don't see why I have to go out at all with Agent Ryan. The FBI solved murder cases…"

Angela scoffed at her best friend, she'd heard this line before, "The FBI solved murder cases before you came around. I get that, but, I know you're hurting about losing Booth as a partner, over him disappearing into the FBI training program, and now being nonexistent in your life." Angela pulled her best friend into a hug. "We all have a job to do, sweetie," she said as she released her. Angela was teary-eyed and Brennan was biting on her bottom lip. "You're the crime fighting go-to girl of the FBI and if nothing else, the guy on that table is Booth's friend. He'd want you to solve the case. " She paused. "Bren, a child out there may never know what happened to his father without you."

Brennan sighed. She knew that when Angela had a point to make, she always made it even when someone didn't want to hear it. Knowing that she was beaten she pulled off the gloves and looked at her friend. "Fine. But only because assisting with the interview is the most logical way to go about solving murders." Walking off the platform towards her office, she attempted to keep her composure, focus on the task ahead and not break down.

Temperance was exhausted. Booth had been gone for nearly a week. To help her compartmentalize everything she felt, she'd jumped into working on all the cases in limbo. Angela and Cam had made her stop to eat and shower. But, it was easier to keep her mind on the goal of taking the lost bones out of limbo and giving them a final resting place than it was to focus on her feelings.

Angela watched as Agent Ryan walked down the stairs and toward her. His eyes met Angela with hope that he would finally have his partner on the case with him. Angela nodded in a slow motion with a reassuring look, tipping her head slightly to show where Brennan was.

**********

Booth looked at Ryan, trying to wipe the amusement off his face. He knew that Ryan needed his help to figure out Brennan and that if he didn't get serious about helping him that Hunter's murderer would walk. "Luke, Brennan has a process. She's complex, deep, and incredibly intelligent. You have to honor all those before she'll work with you. You can't rush her and you can't push her because it will only keep her in her complex shell." Booth realized how much passion was in his voice as he described her and it shook him at his core. He'd called her Bones for four years. Brennan sounded odd to him. Then again, he'd left that partnership. He didn't deserve to call her Bones anymore. But it was reassuring that Ryan didn't know the nickname. It meant no one else was using it.

Ryan sighed at the realization of just what being Dr. Temperance Brennan's partner meant. He wasn't sure he could ever live up to the expectations that Booth had just described to him. "Booth, I don't have that kind of time. I have to solve this case. We went to interview the victim's wife and she wouldn't let me get a word in. I know I was in the room, I know I tried to lead the interview but I'm pretty sure I was invisible." Ryan recounted the interview they'd gone on a little over three days ago.

**********

"You're saying you were having sexual intercourse with another man?" Brennan spoke in a clear and direct tone towards the woman.

Ryan looked at his partner, his eyes wide and his hand covering his mouth trying to suppress words that would have just been completely inappropriate in the victim's home. The woman was too direct. He was beginning to wonder if she had any sense of how to make a possible suspect trust her to get information. "Dr. Bren…"

Brennan began speaking before the FBI agent was able to finish speaking. "When is the last time that you saw the man you were having sexual intercourse with?"

Diana Hunter looked wide eyed and terrified. She was now a single mom with a small baby and she was overwhelmed. "Garrett…he was by here a couple nights ago. He wanted to see how the baby was. We just talked for awhile and then he..."

Luke realized that the women was scared of their presence and was even more concerned for her child. "Dr. Brennan…." he sighed, exasperated as she again started to speak over him.

"What you're saying then is the baby isn't the victim's child? And that the man you were having sexual intercourse with is your baby's biological father?" Brennan stated and stared intently at the women.

Ryan had heard enough. He stepped in between the two women to defuse the hostile environment he felt Brennan was creating, "Okay…Okay…" He said firmly and in a concerned manner, "Enough." Ryan focused his attention on Mrs. Hunter, "Thank you for your..."

Brennan was outraged that he was just going to leave without thoroughly interrogating the victim's wife. She stood up and looked at him eye to eye, "Why are we leaving when we have not completed our interrogation of her?" She put her hands on her hips looking angry. Brennan realized that while she was angry at this mockery of a man pretending to be Booth, she was actually angry at the real Booth. She could feel the irrational emotions boiling to the surface and quickly tried to refocus herself on the case and the hard facts.

Ryan thought back to his training days and channeled the man he was before he'd taken sensitivity training, before he'd learned being direct and bull-headed never worked, before he cared about what people thought. He turned to his partner, "Dr. Brennan." He watched as she went to speak and put his hand up, "Don't say another word. Just go to car and I'll follow behind you as soon as I clean up your mess."

**********

Brennan sat in the front seat of the SUV fuming from the fall out with her new, untrained partner. She was steamed. He'd thrown her out of the house and he'd stayed to clean up her mess. What mess? She thought. Booth had never had any issues with her being direct in interviews and now the new Booth did. Was she really trying to rationalize him as the new Booth? No one was the new Booth. He was irreplaceable.

Ryan opened the door to the car and sat down slamming the door closed. He looked at Brennan, "What the hell were you thinking? Do you have clue what trauma that woman has been though?" While he and his irritating partner hadn't had much time to talk it was easy to see she had no idea what it was like to live on the streets. No idea what it was like to live with a mother who over-dosed when he was 8 and a father that wasn't around. He was pretty sure Brennan was completely clueless on hurt, loss and suffering other then what she saw when it came to bones.

Brennan, who was angry but trying to rationalize it, broke her normally rational composure. "She could have caused her husband's death by having a relationship and sexual intercourse with another man. What kind of FBI agent doesn't take her for a real interrogation? Did you just get your badge or are you just that bad of an agent?" Her chest was heaving in anger. She wanted Booth. He was good at the personalization aspects and she knew she wasn't.

Ryan took a deep breath as he threw the SUV to the side of the road by a mall completely intent on putting her in her place and setting the rules of this partnership. Booth might have allowed her to walk all over him but he wasn't Booth and wouldn't put up with her nonsense. He didn't expect that Brennan would bolt the way she did. He looked up as he got out of the SUV, "You have got to be kidding me." He quickly threw off his seat belt, opened the car door and ran after her.

Brennan walked in a fast pace away from him. This made her flash back to the day when she'd agreed to work with Booth. Booth had chased after her and offered her the partnership to get her to work with him. "Just go back to the Hoover building, Agent Ryan. I'll walk back to the Jeffersonian."

He didn't know how Booth dealt with constant arguing and constant counterproductive feedback from her. And this, running away from him like a criminal, was not at all rational for the proclaimed rational woman. "Dr. Brennan. I'm not Agent Booth and I will not back down because you're trying to make a mockery of me and our partnership. If you want to yell at me then let's get it done and get back in the car."

Brennan turned around toward Ryan and walked back, standing as close to eye-to-eye as they could be. "The only one of us making any kind of mockery is you, Agent Ryan." Her eyes reflected cold, unfeeling emotions toward him.

Ryan stood eye to eye with Brennan trying to get a read on her, "Is that what you think? You think I want to fight with you? That I am trying to mock you?" He's voice was low, deep with a hint of repressed anger.

Brennan didn't flinch. She wouldn't. Her eyes, against her wishes did start to cloud over and she fought it. "Logically speaking, Agent Ryan you have everything to gain from this case-respect, position, honor, merit. None of which you have earned nor do you deserve. I've done my research on you, Agent Ryan and you aren't even in my league."

Ryan felt like he'd been slapped. The woman was brutal and direct but he decided he had to make it work. "Are we done?" He said in a clipped and sharp voice, his eyes burning his anger into hers.

Brennan looked at Ryan and decided he didn't even deserve a response. She slowly turned on heel and walked rapidly away from him.

**********

Booth's eyes reflected shock, clear concern and annoyance at Luke. He wanted to punch the man square between the eyes. Instead he took a deep breath, walking around the desk to stand eye to eye with his replacement. "One, I'd suggest not telling me if you act like rookie with Bones again or I will shoot you. Two, the first thing you're going to do when you get back to the Jeffersonian is apologize to Brennan for being less than professional at the interview…"

"Excuse me Agent Booth but…" Ryan quickly closed his mouth as he saw the anger in Booth's eyes. He wondered for just that moment why Booth had really given up the position at the Jeffersonian. It became clear to him that Booth didn't just look at Dr. Brennan as a partner…he looked at her as a woman, his woman.

"I don't recall saying you could speak. The last thing is, I did not agree to this arrangement just to let you go destroy the team I built. I suggest you man up and act like the FBI agent I trained you to be," Booth said curtly as he burned his point into Ryan's eyes.

Ryan flinched and took a step back away from Booth. He'd pissed off his former mentor in ways he didn't even know Booth could be pissed. "Alright, I'll go back and make it right. Don't worry about it. I'll fix it." Ryan backed away toward the door and only turned his back when he was completely in the hallway.

Booth sat back down in his chair and kicked his feet on the desk with a loud thud. All he could think about was Brennan. He should just go down to the Jeffersonian and help with the case. He should just go see Brennan and his team. And since Ryan, was acting more like a rookie than an agent he was pretty sure they would be happy to see him. When he'd last talked to his baby duck, Brennan was struggling to adjust to the new partner. But, he knew Brennan. She would pull though this and the cases would get worked on. They just had to respect her process and the rest would fall into place…he hoped. A part of him wanted to go see his partner….his former partner and let her know he was still here for her. Maybe a trip to a hockey game or meeting up for another banana split that she'd like so much. Booth shook the idea of meeting her off. He had promises to uphold and duties to focus on. But, he missed her. It wasn't math or science it was heart something that ached to see her again.

He sighed as he put the comic book back in front of him. Kera's ex was still calling and leaving messages ever couple days. He was treating to take the girls to Mexico as soon as he found a chance. Booth knew Bryan wasn't stupid. While he hadn't seen any PI types lurking around, Bryan would have hired one to keep tabs, or so his gut told him. Booth sighed; he was a former soldier, former field FBI agent, and now he was training the future of the FBI. He shook his head trying to figure out how his life had become so complex by sitting in the safety of a training building, when it hadn't been this complex when he was dodging bullets in the field.


End file.
